Bag filling, closing, and sealing machine



1944- H. G. ALLEN ET AL I 3 3 BAG FILLING, CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1944. H. G. ALLEN ET AL I 2,360,635

BAG FILLING, CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JZZu/azzi G..AZZ?7Z am? B wzZZzm a 5:578

ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1944. H. G. ALLEN ET AL BAG FILLING, CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 6, 1941 Z M 4 n fi R6 m waw Am R m Q Q\ h A a Y H Oct. 17, 1944.

H. G. ALLEN ET AL BAG FILLING, CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVE NTOR f ard G.AZZen nd wider, 0.6 1%;

6 ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1944. H. G. ALLEN ET AL BAG FILLING, CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Ewarcl G7. AZIen and BY w 'ZZz'ar/z 0. 62917.5

ATTORN EY 1944- H. G. ALLEN ET AL BAG FILLING,

CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Oct. 17, 1944. H6. ALLEN ET AL BAG FILLING, CLOSINGAN'D SEALING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR 'jl warcf G. A [Z871 and Y mzfzbm'a 15 67 25 ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1944.

H. G. ALLEN ET'AL BAG FILLING,

CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 NVENTOR fl awdrcz @AZZen and BY MZZzZZ'Jn 0-\Z 717.s'

ATTORNEY I I I I I 22E: L

Patented Oct. 17, 1944 BAG FILLING, CLOSING, AND SEALING MACHINE Howard G. Allen and William 0. Sims, Niagara Falls, N. Y., assignors to Bagpak, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 6, 1941, Serial No. 421,858

Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bag filling and closing machines of the type in which filled bags are presented in uniformly spaced relation to a straight line conveyer as an incident to closing operations and, particularly, seeks to provide novel mechanisms to maintain the same spacing between successively presented bags evenwhen bags of diflerent wdths are employed on successive filling runs.

This invention is particularly adapted to be employed in connection with bag filling and closing machines of the type disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent 2,054,279 granted September 15, 1936, to Howland F. Briggs. In machines of this nature, a rotary filling turret is provided which includes a plurality of radially disposed filling spouts and bag gripping elements associated therewith. The cir tumferential spacing between adjacent sets of filling spouts and bag grippers is normally designed to provide minimum edge to edge spacing between adjacent bags held thereby. After the thus held bags are filled, they are successively transferred to a straight line conveyer operated at a linear speed equal to the peripheral speed of the turret and which effects the presentation of the filled bags to the continuously operable, closing and sealing mechan sms of the machine. In the event that bags of less width than those for which the spacing of the filling turret was originally designed are desired to be filled it is believed to be obvious that, as a result of such decreased bag width, the edge to edge spacing between adjacent bags on the turret will be increased. Thus, when such narrower bags are presented by the straight line conveyer to the closing and sealing mechanisms, the increased spacing between the bags will result in substantially increased wastage of the closing and sealing media. This invention provides means for reducing the spacing between bags of such narrower widths to the desired spacing to thereby prevent wastage of the closing media.

It is therefore an object of this invention to pro' vide, in a bag filling and closing machine of the type employing a rotary filling turret and a straight line closing and sealing unit operable synchronously therewith and adapted to receive bags successively presented thereto from the turret, means for so correlating the linear speed of operation of the take-cit conveyer of the closing and sealing unit with the peripheral speed of the turret that substantially identical spacing may be maintained between bags successively presented to the take-off conveyer regardless of the width of bags used on successive runs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which the linear speed of the take-off conveyer is normally equal to the peripheral speed of the turret and in which means are provided to reduce the speed of the take-off conveyer at properly timed intervals as an incident to the maintaining of proper spacing between bags carried by the take-off conveyer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which the speed variations of the take-off conveyer are effected through control mechanisms continuously operable at'a definite speed ratio with respect to. the speed of rotation of the turret.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which the closing and sealing mechanisms are provided with devices adapted to effect feeding of the mouth portions of the bag and which feeding operation is effected at the same rate of speed as the linear travel of the talge-cfi conveyer and in which the conveyer speed control mechanisms are also effective to cause a corresponding variation in the speed of operation of the closing and sealing mechanisms.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which the speed variations of the take-off conveyer are effected through the medium of a continuously operable two-speed clutch controlled mecha- .nism.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which the conveyer speed control mechanisms which actu-' widths from those for which the'machine was initially adjusted.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which the speed control mechanisms thereof are simple in design, rugged in construction andpconomical to manufacture.

With these and other objects infview, th

ture of which will become more apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by refer- 4 ence to the drawings, the accompanying detailed description, and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat fragmentary top plan view, partly in section, of a bag filling and closing,

machin constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the closing I and sealing section of the machine taken along line- 22 of Fi 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of the speed control mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevatlonai view of the speed control mechanism and shows one speed controlling position or the two-speed clutch actuating linkage;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but shows the other position of the two-speed clutch actuating linkage;

Fig. 8 is a detailed section taken along line 3-8 of Fi 6;

Fig. 9 is a detailed section taken along line 99 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a vertical transverse section of the speed control mechanism illustrated in Fig. 5 and taken along line ld-lfi thereof;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged elevational view of the two-speed clutch mechanism together with its associated driving and driven connections, the cover of the housing being removed;

Fig, 12 is a horizontal section taken along line lZ-l2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a vertical section taken along line l3i3 of Fig. 11; and

Figs. 1a and 15 are enlarged fragmentary secticnal views of the twospeed clutch and thus-- trate the two operative positionsoi the clutch elements.

I will be seen in Fig. l of the drawings that the closing and sealing section of the machine is illustrated in detail and includes a sewing head A adapted to form a continuous line 01' stitches during operation of the machine and, thus, se

cure the mouths of successively presented filled bags, tape applying mechanism B adapted to continuously apply tape to the sewn bag mouths to seal the same, a horizontal slatted conveyor C adapted to support and advance the filled bags, and a set of horizontally opposed conveyer chains D adapted to engage the mouth portions of the filled bags and control the same during advance of the bags through the closing and sealing section of the machine, all of the'above mech anisms being supported on a main frame generally indicated E.

The main supporting frame E is provided at one end with a laterally extending portion adapted to support a filling turret generally indicated at F (only a portion thereof being illustrated herein) and from which filled bags are adapted to be received by the closing and sealing section of the machine. in the complete operative in stallation of machines of this nature. a main hopper is provided which supplies material to aseries of weigh-buckets for uniformly measuring out consecutive charges of the material. The weigh-buckets discharge the uniform uantities of material into the bags held on the turret through filling nozzles, one of which is indicated at G in 4 of the drawings. By refer-- ence to the above mentioned U. S. Letters Patent 2,054,279, it will be observed that the turret structure as a whole includes a plurality of radially disposed filling nozzles immediately below which is located a corresponding number of sets of bag engaging elements including spaced grippers 5, 5 (see Figs. 3 and 4 of the clrawings herein) which are adapted to hold and manipulate the mouth portion of a bag as an incident to ill till

till

the filling thereof. It will be noted that the manipulative movements of the grippers may include a contractive movement which is efiective to partially open the mouth of'a bag held thereby, and a bodily vertical movement which is effective to apply the thus-opened bag mouth to the associated filling nozzle, and a final downward vertical movement effective to return the filled bag to its initial position relative to the turret. The turret is constantly rotated at uniform speed and an operator normally stands at the position indicated s in Fig, 1 from which he applies bags to the grippers. As the applied bags are carried by the grippers, their lower ends become slidably engaged with an arcuate vibrator plate 5 positioned along the path of travel of the bag and eiiective to support the bags during filling and to cause compacting of the charge of material being received by the bags. A plurality of radially disposed arms 5 are carried by the turret and are disposed in a plane slightly above that of the arcuate vibrator plam "l and are effective to control the lower depending ends of the bags during filling and to prevent angular displacement of the bags relative to the grippers. After the bags have been filled, the continued rotation of the turret causes the path of travel of the bags to coincide with the longitudinal axis of the closing and sealing section of the machine and, at this point, the grippers and bags become disengaged through the action of a gripper releasing cam is secured to frame E in substantial registry at such point of coincidence, and the body portions of the bags become supported by the slat conveyor C and the flattened mouth portions of the bags become engaged between the upper conveyer chains D preparatory to closing and sealing operations.

When bags of maximum permissive width are filled, closed and sealed on machines of this type, the edge to edge spacing between bags carried by the turret is normally proper for emcient and economical closing and sealing. Con sequently, the closing and sealing section of the machine may be operated at a linear speed equal to the peripheral speed of the turret. However, when bags of lesser widths are to be filled, closed and sealed on the same machine, the edge to edge spacing between bags on the turret is greater than that required and means must be pro vided to effect a reduction of the spacing be tween the bags after they are released by the grippers and prior to the time at which closing and sealing operations begin in order to avoid unnecessary wastage of the closing and sealing media as hereinbefore stated.

To this end the main frame E is provided with a vertically disposed channel piece 5 i upon which a main driving motor i3 is adjustably mounted through the medium of a supporting plate and hancl-screw adjusting means ll. The motor is provided with a pulley it and is adapted to transmit power to a gear box generally indi cated at 2i through belt and pulley connections indicated at 23. The gear box 29 is rigidly se-= cured to a vertical post 25 forming part of the main frame E and includes a continuously ro tating horizontal shaft 2? having its ends projecting beyond the gear box and one of which carries the pulley connections 23 by which power lit is received from the motor. A duplex clutch unit generally indicated at 2d is. carried within the gear box 26 on the shaft ill and is adapted to drive an upper shaft 38 at either of two predetermined speeds of rotation through the medium of a small sprocket gear 33, sprocket chain 35 and a larger sprocket gear 31 or through a relatively large sprocket gear 39, sprocket chain M and smaller sprocket gear 43 as clearly shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings. The exact functions and operation of the duplex clutch and of the alternately usable sets of sprocket and chain connections for driving the upper shaft 3| will be hereinafter described in detail.

The other projecting end of the shaft 21 is provided with a pulley 45 which is adapted to drive a horizontal shaft 41 carried by the main frame through pulley and belt connections indicated at 49. The shaft 41 is operatively connected to the input side of a right angle speed reducer or other appropriate type of gear box by which power from the shaft 41 may be transmitted to the rotary filling turret. The output side of the speed reducer is provided with a shaft 53 disposed at right angles to the shaft 91 and which is operatively connected with the filling turret through worm and gear connections generally indicated at 55 (see Fig. 1 of the drawings herein). Thus, power from the motor I 3 is adapted to be continuously transmitted through the shaft 21 of the gear box, the horizontal lower frame shaft 41, the speed reducer or gear box 5i, the shaft 53, and the worm and gear connections 55 to the filling turret to continuously rotate the same at a slow uniform speed.

The sewing mechanism A is provided with a horizontal shaft 51 disposed with its axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the closing and sealing section of the machine and is provided at one end with a pulley 59 which is operatively connected to the upper shaft SI of the gear box 2| through the medium of a belt GI and a pulley 63 secured to the shaft 3| (see Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings herein). .The other end of the shaft 51 terminates adjacent the discharge end of the closing and sealing section of the machine and is provided with a bevel gear t5 rigidly amxed thereto. The gear 35 meshes with a corresponding bevel gear 61 secured to one end of a short horizontal laterally extending shaft 69 journalled on the frame E above the plane of the upper conveyer chains D. The shaft 69 is also provided with a second bevel gear 1I rigidly aifixed thereto and meshin with a corresponding bevel gear 13 secured to. the upper end of a vertical shaft 15 journalled on the frame E adjacent the end thereof. A spur gear 11 is affixed to the shaft 15 immediately below the bevel gear 13 and meshes with a similar spur gear 19 affixed to a short vertical shaft BI journalled on the frame E in properly spaced relation to the shaft 15. Each of the vertical shafts 15 and BI is provided with a sprocket gear 83 located in the plane of the chains of the upper conveyer D. A pair of similar sprocket gears 85 are mounted adjacent the intake and of the closing and sealing section of the machine. An endless sprocket chain 81 is engaged around each pair of sprocket gears 83, 85 and it will be apparent by reference to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings that the adjacently disposed straight portions of the chains 81 are spaced a distance such that the mouth portions of filled bags presented thereto from the filling turret will be received therebetween and advanced thereby.

cThe lower end of the shaft 15 is provided with a bevel gear 89 which meshes with a similar gear 9| carried by a short laterally extending horizontal shaft 93. The shaft 93 carries a sprocket gear 95 which is adapted to drive the horizontal slat conveyer C through the medium of a sprocket chain 91 and a sprocket gear 99 as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It will be noted that the speed ratios between the respective sets of meshing gears together 'with the diametric ratios between the respective sets of driving and driven sprocket gears are all so correlated that the linear speed of advance of the slatted conveyer C, the upper chain conveyer D, the effective speed of feed of the sew- .ing mechanism A and the effective speed of feed of the tape applying mechanism B are all equal; and it will be further noted that since the source of power of all of these elements and mechanisms stems from the gear box 2|, any variation in the speed of rotation of the shaft 3I therein will produce a correspondin change in the speed of operation of all the above mentioned elements and mechanisms. In other words, the effective operative speed of the mechanisms in the closing and sealing section of the machine may be varied as a whole by varying v the speed of the shaft 3|. Therefore, when it is found to be desirable or necessary to have the edge to edge spacing between adjacent bags in the closing and sealing section of the machine less than the spacing between adjacent bags on the uniformly rotating filling turret, the mechanisms of the closing and sealing section can be slowed to a speed below the speed of the turret for a short period of time after each bag has been transferred from the filling turret and the grippers thereof have been released. This slowin of the closing and sealing section of the machine permits the next succeeding bag on the constantly and uniformly moving turret to overtake the previously transferred bag carried by the conveyers of the closin and sealing section. As this next succeeding bag approaches the position at which its transfer to the closing and sealing section takes place, the mechanisms of that section are again speeded up to equal the peripheral speed of the turret and the bag transferring actions will then be fully and properly synchronized.

In order that the speed changes in the closing and sealing section of the machine can be automatically effected and synchronized with the operation of the filling turret, the shaft 53 of the right angle gear box 5| is provided with a sprocket gear IUI which, through a sprocket chain I03, drives a somewhat larger sprocket gear I05 v affixed to a laterally extending shaft I01 forming part of a mechanism generally designated I09 for controlling the duplex clutch 29 in the gear box 2|. The clutch control mechanism includes a housing having a back plate III secured to the main frame E andin which the shaft I01 is journalled. The inner end of the shaft I91 carries a sprocket gear I I3 which, through a sprocket chain II5, drives a larger sprocket gear II1 rotatably carried by a shaft IE9. A clutch-actuating cam generally indicated at I2I having a cam supporting disk I23 and a hub I25 is rigidly aifixed to the sprocket H1 and is rotatably carried by the shaft H9. The edge portion of one face of the disk I23 is cut back to form an annular clamping shoulder I21 (see Figs. 8 and 9) and this shoulder is in turn provided with an annular groove I29 for receiving position-determining elemen s of a pair of lug cams to be hereinafter described in detail.

A lug cam I3I projects outwardly in a generally radial direction from the disk I23 and is adjustably secured thereto through the medium of a pair of position-determining studs I33 which are engaged in the annular groove I29 and an L-shaped clamping member I35 which is releasably secured to the lug cam by clamping screws I31. It will be noted that the clamping element I35 together with the associated portion of the lug cam I3I form a pair of clamp jaws which span the edge portion of the cam supporting disk I23 so that when the set screws I31 are"tightened the lug cam as a whole will be rigidly clamped to the supporting disk. The outer end of the lug cam I3| is provided with a laterally extending portion I39, the inner edge portion of which is contoured to define a cam face I4I adapted to en gage and move the clutch-actuating linkages in one direction.

A generally similar lug cam I43 is also secured to the cam supporting disk I23 through the medium of position-determining studs I45 engaged in the annular groove I29, L-shaped clamping member I41 and clamping screws I49. The lug cam I43 is likewise provided with a laterally projecting portion I5I, the outer edge portion of which is contoured to define a cam face I53 adapted to move the clutch-actuating linkages in a direction opposite to that effected by the lug cam I3I.

The back plate III is provided with a boss I55 in which a rock shaft I51 is journalled. The inner end of the rock shaft I51 carries an upstanding pitman I59 rigidly secured thereto and the free end of which is provided with a laterally offset roller cam follower |6I rotatably carried by a pivot stud I63. The outer end of the rock shaft I51 which projects rearwardly of the back plate I II carries a downwardly extending pitman I65 rigidly affixed thereto. The lower end of the pitman I65 is pivotally connected as at I61 to one end of a connecting link I69. The other end of the link I69 is pivotally connected as at I1I to the lower end of a depending pitman I13 affixed to the rear end of a rock shaft I journalled in the gear box 2| adjacent the bottom thereof.

A yoke I11 is rigidly affixed to the rock shaft I15 and includes a pair of upstanding arms I19, the upper ends of which pivotally engage a pair of diametrically opposed trunnions IBI rigidly carried by a clutch actuating collar I83. Thus, rocking of the shaft I15 will cause axial movement of the collar I83. It will be seen in Fig. 14 of the drawings that axial movement of the collar I83 to the left will, through the link and roller connections I85 and clutch plate engaging sleeve I81, effect a compressing together of the several plates included in the left hand clutch unit of the duplex clutch. When these plates are thus brought into surface contact in this manner, the driving power will be transmitted from the shaft 21-- through the clutch plates to the sprocket gear 39 from which the shaft 3| is then driven. Rocking of the shaft I15 in the opposite direction will produce an axial movement of the collar I83 to the right and, as shown in Fig. 15 of the drawings, the collar will, through the roller and link connections I89 and the clutch plate engaging sleeve I9I, effect a compressing together of the several plates of the right hand unit of the duplex clutch to thereby transmit power from the shaft 21'through the clutch plates to the sprocket gear 33 from which the shaft 3| will then be driven. It will be noted that the right and left individual clutch units of the duplex clutch are alternately engageable and that, since this is the case, the shaft 3| will be driven at whichever of-the two speed ratios are available through the sprockets 39 and 43 on the one hand or through the sprockets 33 and 31 on the other hand. I

The yoke I11 may have associated with it a sector plate I93 having three spaced radial notches formed in the periphery thereof. The notched periphery of the sector I93 is adapted to be engaged by a roller follower I95 rotatably mounted intermediate the ends of an arm I91. One end of the arm I91 is pivotally connected to the housing of the gear box 2| as at I99 and the other end of the'arm I91 is constantly and yieldably biased downwardly through the medium of an adjustably connected tension spring biasing means generally indicated 20L ,Thus, engagement of the roller follower I95 with the notches in the sector plate I93 will maintain the yoke I11 in the three positions into which it may be moved, namely, the two active clutch operating positions and an intermediate neutral position in which neither of the units of the duplex clutch is operative to drive the shaft 3!. Thus, it will be apparent that rocking of the shaft I51 by the pitman I59 under theinfiuence of the lug cams I3I and I43 of the clutch control mechanism will result in a corresponding axial movement of the clutch actuating collar I83 of the duplex clutch the operation will be made in order that the 00- ordination of the several mechanisms may be fully understood. When the machine is placed into operation the filling turret F is constantly rotated at a uniformly relatively slow speed through the connections heretofore described. Initially, the mechanisms of the closing and sealing section of the machine operate at a speed substantially equal to the peripheral speed of the filling turret. Therefore, when a filled bag which is held by the grippers 5 of the turret approaches the point of coincidence with the longitudinal axis of the closing and sealing section of the machine, the gripper 5 which holds the top leading corner of the bag is released by engagement with the releasing cam In on the frame E and, simultaneously, the leading bottom corner of the bag becomes supported upon the slatted conveyer C. At the same time the leading edge of the collapsed mouth portion of the bag becomes engaged be tween the upper conveyer chains D and is gripped thereby. Continued advance of the turret and of the horizontal conveyer C and the upper conveyer chains D will cause the conveyer chains D to progressively grip the collapsed mouth portion of the bag across its entire width and when the gripper 5 which holds the trailing top corner of the bag reaches the point of coincidence with the longitudinal axis of the closing and sealing section of the machine, it is released by engage ment with the releasing cam Ill whereupon the filled ba becomes placed entirely under the control of the mechanisms contained in the closing and sealing section of the machine. Thus, transfer of the bag from the rotary turret to the straight line closing and sealing section of the machine is perfectly synchronized. As soon as asedees ing and sealing media, it is desirable that the the grippers II on the filling turret have released the bag mouth. or shortly thereafter, the lug cam IBI of the cam control mechanism I09 becomes gear box I2I to the left and effects an axial move- 7 ment to the right of the clutch control collar I83. This movement disengages the plates of the left hand unit of the duplex clutch and renders the.

same ineffective to drive the shaft 3I at the speed synchronizing the closing and sealingsection-of the machine with the filling turret and effects an engagement of the clutch plates of the right hand unit of the duplex clutch to drive the shaft 3| through the sprocket gears 33 and 31 and the sprocket chain 35 at a speed such that the mechanisms of the closing and sealing section of the machine will then be driven at a lesser speed. Thus, the horizontal slatted conveyer C,the upper conveyer chains D as well as the feeds of the sewing head and the tape applying mechanisms are all reduced. This reduction in speed is, of course, transmitted to the bags then being carried in that section of the machine while permitting the bags still bein carried. by the filling turret to travel at the initial or greater speed. Therefore, it is believed to be apparent that the next succeeding bag carried by the fillingturret will catch up to the bag which has just been transferred to the closing and filling section of the machine. IAS this next succeeding bag on the turret approaches the point at which transfer therefrom to the conveyers of the closing and filling section of the machine is made, the lug cam I3I of the clutch control mechanism I09 will effect a rocking movement to the left of the pitman I59 and, through the linkage above described, will eflect a corresponding movement to the left of the clutch-actuating collar I83. This disengages the right hand unit of the duplex clutch and reengages the left'hand unit of'the clutch to again effect a speed up of the mechanisms of the closing and sealing section of the machine to the speed equal to the peripheral speed of the turret. Thus, the two operative sections of the machine are again placed into perfect synchronization and the transfer of this next succeeding bag carried by the turret can be prop erly effected.

It will be observed that the amount of stitch forming thread and sealing tape which will be saved per bag through the employment of a filling and closing machine constructed in accordance with this invention will be equal to the difference between the edge to edge. spacing of the bags as carried by the filling turret and the edge to edge spacing of the bags as they are handled in the closing and sealing section of the machine.

It may be noted that the length of time during which the mechanisms of the closing and sealing section of the machine are operated at the slower speed and at the higher speed may be readily varied in accordance with the demands of varying widths of bags employed onsucceeding filling runs by the simple expedient of varyin the angular spacing between the adjustable lug cams I3I and I43 carried by the disk I23 of the clutch control mechanism. Variation of the angular spacing between the adjustable lug cams I3I and I43 is made necessary as the result of operating upon bags of different widths on succeeding runs of the machine. As pointed out hereinabove, in order to secure maximum economy in the 0105- edge to edge spacing between bags carried in the closing and sealing section of the machine be maintained at an optimum minimum distance. Therefore, variations in widths of bags operated upon in successive runs will produce a corresponding variation in the edge to edge spacing between such bags when carried by the turret and, consequently, the reduction in spacing as between bags on the turret and. bags carried in the closing and sealing section of the machine may be either greater or lesser than the reduction of such spacing required on the machine as initially set up. Thus, in operating upon a certain size of bags, the turret and the mechanisms of the closing and sealing section operate at a one to one speed ratio during the time at which individualbags are transferred from the turret and after the transfer of each bag has been completely effected, the lug cam I i-3 causes reduction of speed of operation of the closing and seal ing mechanisms; In another run, when bags of different widths are being operated upon, the one to one speed ratio between the turret and closing and filling section will be still maintained during the times at which transferring operations of individual bags are effected but the lug cam I43 may be differently angularly spaced from the lug cam I3I in order that the time at which the speed reduction of the closing and sealingmech anisms occurs will be changed whereby to result in the obtaining of the same optimum minimum.

' the left hand unit'of the duplex clutch to drive the shaft 3| through the higherspeed sprocket chain connections and will, thereafter, have no effect upon the operation of the machine. Therefore, the closing and filling section of 'the machine will always operate in perfect synchronization and at the same speed as the peripheral speed of the turret.

In connection with the effecting of the engage-. ment of the clutch plates of the respective clutch units; it may be noted that the cam faces MI and I53 of the lug cams I3I and I 43 respectively are so contoured that movement of the pitman I59 in either direction is effected in, what might be termed, two stages, that is to say, the contour cams first'impart movement, to'the pitman just sufficient to produce enough of. a resultant movement in the clutch actuating collar I83 that one set of clutch plates will become disengaged and the other set of clutch plates will become partially engaged. The remaining portion of the contour of each of these cams is effective to produce in the pitman I59 the further movement necessary to effect the full and complete engagement of the clutch plates. Thus, by moving the clutch actuating collar I83 in a progressive manner like this,

the engagement-of the plates on either of the units of the duplex clutch is effected without imparting a sudden change of movement of rota- 6 assume:

from the rotary filling turret to the closing and sealing section or the machine in the manner above dcscrlbed,.the mouth portions thereof are then subjected to the operations of the sewing head A which closes the mouth of each bag by a continuous line of stitching. It will be understood that since the machine as a whole is continuously operabler'and even though the mechanisms of the closing and sealing section of the machine are operable at either of two predetermined speeds, the line of stitching formedby the sewing head A will be continuous regardless of whether or not the mouth of a bag is being stitched. Thus, the intervening space between adjacent bags, after stitching has occurred, will be bridged by a line of stitching. Following the stitching operation, continued movement of the bags by the conveyer mechanisms of this section of the machine subjects the stitched mouths of the bags to the sealing operation which is effected by the application of adhesively secured tape applied through the mechanisms generally indicated at B. It may be here noted that at this point primary operations upon the bag have been completed, namely, the filling, closing by a line of stitching, and sealing by a strip of continuously applied adhesively secured tape. However, since the adjacent bags would still be connected together by the continuous line of stitching as well as by the continuously applied sealing tape, means are normally provided immediately after the tape applying mechanism and immediately prior to the point at which the filled,

closed and sealed bags are discharged from the machine for severing the closing media at one or more points intermediate the trailing edge of one bag and the leading edge of the next following bag. As the structures of these severing devices are numerous and well known, none have been illustrated herein but it will be understood that such mechanisms are normally employed.

Thus, it will be seen that the herein described invention provides a novel bag filling and closing machine of the type employing a rotary filling turret and a straight line closing and sealing unit operable synchronously therewith and adapted to receive bags successively transferred thereto from the turret; in which means are'provided for so correlating the linear speed of operation of a closing and sealing section of the machine with the peripheral speed of the turret that substantially identical spacing may be maintained between bags successively presentedto the closing and sealing section regardless of the width of bags employed on successive runs; in which the spacing between bags is regulated through varying the speed of the closing and sealing section of the machine with respect to the peripheral speed of a turret in which such speed variations are effected through the medium of control mechanisms continuously operable at a definite speed ratio with respect to the speed of rotation of the turret; and in which the speed control mechanisms are adjustable to vary the timing of operations whereby the machine may be readily' adapted for use in connection with bags having diiferent widths from those for which the machine was initially adjusted.

We claim:

1. In a bag filling and closing machine Wherein is provided a rotary filling turret adapted to hold a plurality of circumferentially spaced bags to be filled, means for supplying predetermined charges of material to said bags, means for con stantly rotating said turret at a uniform speed, a conveyer adapted to receive filled bags from said turret and advance the same, and continuously operable bag mouth closing and sealing mechanisms associated with said conveyer and having speeds of operation equal to the speed of advance of said conveyer; the combination of means effective to drive said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms at effective speeds equal to the peripheral speed of said turret during the times at which individual bags are being transferred therefrom to said conveyor, a timing device driven with said turret at a predetermined ratio with respect to the speed of rotation of said turret, and means under the control of said timing device effective after each such bag has been transferred to said conveyer to reduce the speed of said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms whereby the next succeeding bag held by said turret will catch up to the preceding bag on said conveyer and the edge to edge spacing therebetween will be less than the edge to edge spacing between bags on said turret and substantial savings of the closing and sealing media will result.

2. In a bag filling and closing machine wherein is provided a rotary filling turret adapted to hold a plurality of circumferentially spaced bags to be filled, means for supplying predetermined charges of material to said bags, means for constantly rotating said turret at a uniform speed, a conveyer adapted to receive filled bags from said turret and advance the same, and continuously operable bag mouth closing and sealing mechanisms associated with said conveyer and having speeds of operation equal to the speed of advance of said conveyer; the combination of means including-a changeable speed mechanism for driving said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms, a first means under the control of said turret for automatically adjusting said changeable speed mechanism to drive said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms at effective speeds equal to the peripheral speed of said turret during the times at which individual bags are being transferred therefrom to said conveyer, and a second means under the control of said turret for automatically adjusting said changeable speed mechanism after each such bag has been transferred to said conveyer to reduce the speed of said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms whereby the next succeeding bag held by said turret will catch up to the preceding bag on said conveyer and the edge to edge spacing therebetween will be less than the edge to edge spacing between bags on said turret and substantial savings of the closing and sealing media will result.

3. In a bag filling and closing machine wherein is provided a rotary filling turret adapted to hold a plurality of circumferentially spaced bags to be filled, means for supplying predetermined charges of material to said bags, means for constantly rotating said turret at a uniform speed, a conveyer adapted to receive filled bags from said turret and advance the same, and continuously operable bag mouth closing and sealing mechanisms associated with said conveyer and having speeds of operation equal to the speed of trol of said turret for automatically adjusting said changeable speed mechanism to drive said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms at effective speeds equal to the peripheral speed of said turret during the times at which individual bags are being transferred therefrom to said conveyer, and a second means under the control of said turret for automatically adjusting said changeable speed mechanism after each such bag has been transferred to said conveyer to reduce the speed of said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms whereby the next succeeding bag held by said turret will catch up to the preceding bag on said conveyer and the edge to edgespacing therebetween will be less than the edge to edge spacing between bags on said turret and substantial savings of the closing and sealing media will result, said first and second means being adjustable with respect to each other in accordance with the spacing between bags .on said turretto establish a desired spacing between bags on said conveyer.

4. In a bag filling and closing machine wherein is provided a rotary filling turret adapted to hold a plurality of circumferentially spaced bags to be filled, means for supplying predetermined charges of material to said bags, means for constantly rotating said turret at a uniform speed, a conveyer adapted to receive filled bags from said turret and advance the same, and continuously operable bag mouth closing and ,sealing mechanisms associated with said conveyer and having speedsof operation equal to the speed of advance of said conveyer; the combination of means including a changeable speed mechanism for driving said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms at effective speeds equal to the peripheral speed of said turret during the times at which individual bags are being transferred therefrom to said conveyer, and means including a cam constantly rotatable at a predetermined ratio with respect to the speed of rotation of said turret for automatically adjusting said changeable speed mechanism after each such bag has been transferred to said conveyer to reduce the speed of said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms whereby the next succeeding bag held by said turret will catch up to the preceding bag on said conveyer and the edge to edge spacing therebetween will be less than the edge to edge spacing between bags on said turret and substantial savings of the closing and sealing media will result.

5. In a bag filling and closing machine wherein is provided a rotary filling turret adapted to hold a plurality of circumferentially spaced bags to be filled, means for supplying predetermined charges of material to said bags, means for constantly rotating said turret at a uniform speed, a conveyer adapted to receive filled bags from said turret and advance the same, and continuously operable bag mouth closing and sealing mechanisms associated with said conveyer and having speeds of operation equal to the speed of advance of said conveyer; the combination of means including a changeable speed mechanism for driving said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms at effective speeds equal to the peripheral speed of said turret during the times at which individual bags are being transferred therefrom to said conveyer, and means including a cam constantly rotatable at a predetermined-ratio with respect to the speed of rotation of said turret for automatically adjusting said changeable speed mechanism after each such bag has been transferred to said conveyer to reduce the speed of said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms whereby the next succeeding bag held by said turret will catch up to the preceding bag on said conveyer and the edge to edge spacing therebetween will be less than the edge to edge spacing between bags on said turret and substantial. savings of the closing and sealing media will result, said last named means being adjustable with respect to the spacing between bags on said turret to establish a desired spacing between bags on said conveyer.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a rotary turret adapted to hold a plurality of circumferentially spaced bags, means for constantly rotating said turret at a uniform speed, a conveyer adapted to receive bags from said turret and advance the same, means associated with I said conveyer and operable at a, speed necessarily related to the speed of said conveyerfor performing an operation upon said bags as they are ad vanced by said conveyer, means for driving said conveyer and its associated means at effective speeds equal to the peripheral speed of said turret during the times at which individual bags are being transferred from said turret to said conveyer, a timing device driven with said turret at a predetermined ratio with respect to the speed of rotation of said turret, andmeans under the control of said timing device effective after each suchbag has been transferred to said conveyer to reduce.-

the speed of said conveyerand the .means associated therewith whereby the next succeeding bag held by said turret will catch up to the preceding bag on said conveyer and the edge to edge spacing therebetween will be less than the edge-to edge spacing between bags on said turret. I a

7. In a bag filling and closing machinaarotary filling turret adapted to hold :a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced bags tobe filled; means for supplying predetermined charges of material to said bags, means for constantly rotating said turret at a uniform speed, a conveyer adapted to receive filled bags from said turret and advance the same, continuously operable bag mouth closing and sealing mechanisms associated with said conveyer and having speeds of operation equal to the speed of advance of said conveyer, means effective to drive said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms at effective speeds equal to the peripheral speed of said turret during the times at which individual bags are being transferred therefrom to said conveyer, a timing device driven with said turret at a predetermined ratio with respect .to the speed of rotation of said turret, and means under the control of said timing device efiective after each such bag has been transferred to said conveyer to reduce the speed of said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms whereby the next succeeding bag held by said turret will catch up to the preceding bag on said conveyer and the edge to edge spacing therebetween will be less than the edge to edge spacing between bags on said turret and substantial savings of the closing and sealing media will result.

8. In a machinev of the character described, a rotary turret adapted to hold a plurality of circumferentially spaced bags, means for constantly rotating said turret at a uniform speed, a conveyer adapted to receive bags from said turret and advance the same, continuously operable bag mouth closing and sealing mechanisms associated with said conveyer and having speeds of operation equal to the speed of advance of said conveyer. means effective to drive said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms at effective speeds equal to the peripheral speed of said turret during the times at which individual bags are being transferred therefrom to said conveyer, a timing device driven with said turret at a predetermined ratio with espect to the speed of rotation of said turret, and means under the control of said timing device effective after each such bag has been transferred to said conveyer to reduce the speed of said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms whereby the next succeeding has held by said turret will catch up to the preceding therebetween will be less than the edge to edge spacing between bags on said turret and substantial savings of the closing and sealing media will result.

9. In a bag filling and closing machine, a rotary filling turret adapted to hold a plurality of circumferentially spaced bags to be filled, means for supplying predetermined charges of material to said bags, means for constantly rotating said turret at a uniform speed, a conveyer adapted to receive filled bags from said turret and advance the same, continuously operable bag mouth closing and sealing mechanisms associated with said conveyer and having speeds of operation equal to the speed of advance of said conveyer, means including a changeable speed mechanism for driving said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms atefiective speeds equal to the peripheral speed of said turret during the times at which individual bags are being transferred therefrom to said conveyer, and control means constantly operable at a predetermined ratio with respect to, the speed oi said turret for bag on said conveyer and the edge to edge spacing 2,sao,eso

whereby the next succeeding bag held by said turret will catchup .to the preceding bag on said conveyer and the edge to edge spacing therebetween will be less than the edge to edge spacing between bags on said turret and substantial savings of the closing and sealing media will result.

10. In a bag filling and closing machine, a rotary turret adapted to hold a plurality of circumferentially spaced bags, means for constantly r0- tating said turret at a uniform speed, a conveyer adapted to receive bags from said turret and advance the same, continuously operable bag mouth closing and sealing mechanisms associated with said conveyer and having speeds of operation equal to the speed of advance of said conveyer, means effective to drive said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms at effective speeds equal to the peripheral speed of said turret during the times at which individual bags are being transferred therefrom to said conveyer, a timing device driven with said turret at a predetermined ratio with respect to the speed of rotation of said turret, and means under the con trol of said timing device effective after each such bag has been transferred to said conveyer to change the speed of said conveyer and said closing and sealing mechanisms whereby relative movement will occur between the next succeeding bag held by said turret and the preceding bag on said conveyer and the edge to edge spacing therebetween will become different than the edge to edge spacing between bags on said turret.

HOWARD G. ALLEN. WILLIAM O. SIMS. 

